Classic Concepts: Ford EX

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The Ariel Atom of off-road vehicles?

By Justin Kaehler

With the Fourth of July holiday coming up, things are pretty slow around here. NOPI Drift L.A. isn't for another couple of days and the car manufacturers are keeping any and all interesting press releases close to their metaphorical chests. We were all set to do a feature on the next BMW 1-Series, but we then found out that that story is embargoed until the 30th. News of the 1-Series - as well as the press release itself (with the "Embargoed Until June 30th" tag still on it) - is freely floating around the web as we speak. BMW's press site shows no mention of the baby Bimmer, but clicking here will give you all the info (plus a small photo) of the "successor to the 2002". We could be internet rebels and break the embargo ourselves, but that would hurt our chances of getting more BMW press cars in the future. We need that M3.

So this lack of anything new and exciting to write about puts us in a bit of a bind. The bosses demand content, but we demand an early start to a week-long Fourth of July holiday (which in actuality we'll be spending working, thank you very much), so we figured that now would be a good time for another Classic Concepts feature. All the kids like concept cars, especially if they look as cool, futuristic and rugged as this Ford EX Concept.

The EX' press release from 2001 says that the concept promises "a unique, no-compromise driving experience for the off-road enthusiast and extreme sports authority." That's right, this concept is EXTREME! Okay... that's the fourth can of Red Bull talking... Sorry about that. We'll knock back a few brewskis to even ourselves out and try to carry on as normal.

At first glance, it looks as if Ford was a bit jealous of Jeep's continued dominance of the "purist" off-road market. The EX' high ground clearance, cut-away fenders and exposed tires (which give the concept a greater approach/departure angle) certainly recall design cues set by the iconic Jeep Wrangler many decades ago. But while the Wrangler's styling really hasn't evolved much since WWII, Ford's ability to create a clean-sheet design allowed it to imagine an extreme off-roader for the 21st century.

Visually, we like to think of this Ford as a cross between that aforementioned Jeep and an Ariel Atom. Just a quick glance at the EX' minimalist sheet metal, exposed frame and visible suspension bits certainly bring the "hoontastic" (thanks, Jalop!) British sports car to mind. Had this concept not come out at about the same time as the Atom, we'd accuse Ford of plagiarism. It is a rather amazing coincidence that the two vehicles share a similar design theme, though... At only 2,500 pounds, the Ford EX is light; the exposed frame is made up of chrome-moly steel and the removable body panels are held on by aluminum clips. Adding a few pounds to the EX' overall curb weight is its windscreen, and there's a Jeep influence to be found here, too. EX drivers can flip the windscreen down and latch it to the hood to get that open air feeling - just like they can in a WWII-era Jeep.

Powering this half-naked beast is a 375 horsepower/410 lb.-ft. torque V6. With only a ton and some change to move around, we're guessing that this EX concept has the potential to be quite fast. Mechanical bits that are not the engine - such as the radiator and transfer case - have been moved to the rear so that the EX can benefit from a 50/50 weight distribution.

Though there isn't much protecting the EX' occupants from the elements, this concept is designed to be safe. Passengers strap themselves into the racing-style bucket seats with a four-point harness. Ford also found a way to install dual airbags in the exposed-metal cockpit, so a head-on collision shouldn't hurt... too much. Roll-overs are just a part of life for the hardest of hard-core rock crawlers, so the EX gets a fully-integrated roll cage for additional safety. But you can see that roll cage, so we really shouldn't have had to mention that last part. Moving on...

The popularity of "naked" vehicles like the Ariel Atom and the venerable Jeep Wrangler shows that a market exists for a true open-air car. Though there are proportionately more Wranglers hitting the dirt than there are other 4x4s, it would be foolish to think that everyone that buys a Jeep buys it for its off-road prowess. Here in L.A., we still see spotlessly clean Wranglers driving down the streets with the top (and doors) off. People just like being seen in a cool car. We don't know why Ford never went ahead and built a vehicle based on the EX, and as we're too lazy to call 'em up and get the "we couldn't justify the cost of a production version"-excuse from them, we likely never will. Oh well, at least we still have the photos.